Things Back Home
by Kavazya
Summary: Jake is in college, and the most insignificant incident awakens realizations of what he misses most. One-shot.


**Just a quick one-shot I wanted to write. Short and simple. All the same, hope you guys enjoy.**

The sun beat down mercilessly on the track and field, the rubber and Astroturf seeming to cultivate the heat. Jake exited the track with winded lungs, the sweat on his forehead and back a futile effort to counteract the hot temperatures. He strode purposefully toward the dorms with an eager desire for the cool shower that never fails to relieve a particularly intense track practice. As he strode across the college campus, he noticed a girl sitting on the grass, facing away from him. A slight breeze picked up, whisking the strands of her auburn hair into the air currents. In that instant he sped towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him with a smile, but she was unfamiliar. Grumbling his apologies, he continued on his way away. An unnerving feeling of aching loneliness tugged at him.

After showering, Jake entered his room to find his roommate, Connor, laying lazily on his bed and immersed with texting someone on his phone.

"Great, you're here," the blonde-haired boy said excitedly. "Listen, some of us were thinking of going and catching a concert tonight. Wanna go?"

Jake sat down at his desk and opened a textbook. "Nah. I need to study."

"Oh come on, man! You've been here for months now. Don't you ever take any time for yourself?" his friend said with exasperation. "How do you not enjoy college?"

He shrugged. "I like it. Just have more waiting for me back home."

Connor sighed. "Suit yourself."

* * *

That night, Jake thought back to the girl on the grass. She was nothing to him - yet thinking about her made the back of his throat ache with an indescribable pang, as if someone punched it. Her auburn hair blowing like a sail in the wind. He remembered a time when he was riding behind Sam and her auburn hair had risen and fallen with Ace's bouncy, elongated lope, and he had been completely mesmerized with how the red strands shimmered with the reflecting light. That planted the seed in his mind. Suddenly Sam - images and memories - consumed his every thought. What was wrong with him? He had scarcely given much of a thought to his own family. All he wanted was his best friend. Mind spinning, he flipped open his cell phone and began dialing her number.

_Once. Twice. Three Times._

With each ring is heart pounds faster and faster, until she answers at last.

"Hello?" questioned a soft, familiar voice.

"Sam?"

"Jake!" The sound of her voice crashed over him like a gust of icy desert air. The breath he wasn't even aware he was holding fled from his lungs. He opened his mouth as if ready to speak. He wanted to tell her he missed her; how much she really meant to him. Yet he couldn't force himself to say the words.

"Hello?"

"Hey Brat," he said nonchalantly, fighting to restrain the wobble that threatened to topple his casual pretense. "Just wanted to make sure you didn't forget about Witch."

"Figures!" she replied laughingly. "I don't hear from you in months, and when I do it's about your cranky horse!"

She was speaking lightly, but her words threw a heavy guilt straight threw him. Unexpectedly, they hurt him. He didn't know what to say.

"Don't worry cowboy," she said, and Jake could almost picture her rolling her eyes with a smile, "she's doing just fine."

Jake felt lost, and the distance between them was suddenly very apparent. Everything just felt wrong.

"Jake?"

He snapped his phone shut, eyes glued to the dorm wall.

* * *

The mild morning sun flooded the desert with strong, bright light. Pepper looked up to see a black truck, light bouncing off of it as it made its way towards River Bend Ranch. It pulled up into the ranch yard, rocks crackling and dirt shifting from under its wide tires. It's driver opened the door and hopped out.

"Jake?" Pepper questioned with obvious surprise. He walked briskly over to him, welcoming him with a clap on the back. "How've you been these days?"

He smiled. "Been good. Where's Sam?"

Pepper's eyes widened, comprehension settling in. He pointed towards the barn.

Jake nodded and began walking.

Entering the barn, the scene before him made him blink in utter disbelief. Witch was in a stall, which was understandable because it would be extra work for Sam to go back and forth to Three Ponies every day to see her. That part made sense. What didn't make sense was that Sam was standing in front of the big, black mare, her forehead pressed against her forelock. _And Witch didn't seem to mind it_.

Of course the horses sensitive ears had flicked toward Jake as soon as he entered, and her head snapped up abruptly at the sight of her owner, whacking Sam in the face with an audible thud.

Sam yelped in shock and her hands flew to her face. When she saw who was standing there, however, her pain was instantly forgotten.

"Jake!" she cried, running towards him and throwing her arms around him. "I missed you so much!"

Still hugging him, she said breathlessly, "I hope you don't mind that I moved Witch here. We've actually been getting along really well - until you showed up."

"Good thing, 'cause I don't need you spoiling her and making her all soft."

"Might be too late for that," Sam teased, "she's been under my sole care and attention for a while now."

He broke the embrace to look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry," he said slowly and sincerely. "I should have called or came to visit. It's hard to think about what you miss most."

She nodded, and rose to her toes to kiss him full on the mouth - to Jake's sheer stupor and happiness. Sporting his classic tomcat grin he kissed her back, compensating for the months he had deprived her of quality interaction.

When they finally pulled away, hearts pounding and breathing slightly labored, he looked at her with a frown.

"What is it?" Sam asked, her voice full of concern.

"Brat, I'm not back for good. I still have over three years left of college." Pushing away selfish desires, he forced himself to accept the truth of the situation. "I can't ask you to wait that long.

She peered into his Shoshone brown mustang eyes with a profound and ardent intensity.

"You don't have to ask, Jake."

Something in the way she said it made his heart skip a beat. A smile broke over his face.

"You never had to ask."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are definitely appreciated and ever-helpful.**

**-Kavazya**


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